It’s one of the days each year guys can buy their significant other flowers when they’re not actually in trouble. It’s Valentine’s Day – a day where 196 million roses are produced, and flowers are among the top purchased items alongside candy, cards, and restaurant dining, according to data website statisticbrain.com.

The surging demand that comes in the weeks and days leading to Valentine’s Day is enough to keep local florist venues like Casas Adobes Flower Shop busy.

Owner Mike Cox said he expects overall business on Valentine’s Day and the days prior to increase 15-fold, meaning increases in staffing levels, particularly for veteran workers who have experienced the holiday’s high demand in the past.

Fortunately for shoppers of Casas Adobes, all of Cox’s employees have at least three years experience, and a handful of employees have upwards of 20 years experience in the field.

“Veterans have the ability to comprehend the flow of business, even through long and strenuous hours,” said Cox, who purchased the shop about seven years ago. “They have all been through this before, and they all know the game.”

Cox said he generally runs about three delivery trucks on a normal business day, but come Valentine’s Day, it’s not unrealistic to run 15-20 trucks. Several drivers work for Cox specifically around the holiday to compensate customer demand.

Employing quality people gets results from the buying market, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Quality product is another.

“I take this personal,” said Cox. “Even through tough economic times, maintaining quality standards is a critical element to the health of our store. We have never reduced standards to increase profits.”

The same is often not true of big online retailers, according to Cox, who before purchasing Casas Adobes worked as a flower wholesale distributor servicing the Tucson area. Online vendors generally put a premium on an order, and then discount the order to a local merchant who fulfills it and ships it.

“If you deal with an online vendor that doesn’t deliver their own product, they’ve never even seen it,” said Cox. “They’ve never even handled your product.”

That’s not Cox’s style, or that of his employees, who design many of their own bouquets by hand and import quality flowers despite the expense.

“I do not buy the best deal out there,” said Cox. “I buy the highest value. Flowers are an emotional gift, and the process needs to be handled in a personal way. If you’re giving your significant other a gift, that gift is a message. It relays your feelings. We make sure not to relay that message in an inappropriate way. The first thing a customer forgets is how much they paid for it. The last thing they forget is how good or bad the flowers were.”